telic

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telic

/ˈtiːlɪk/ UK

Where it comes from

From the Ancient Greek τελῐκός (telĭkós, “final”), from τέλος (télos, “end”).

adjective more telic · most telic

Tending or directed towards a goal or specific end. Several theorists of the previous chapters are supportive of this more telic view of human nature.
Opposite: paratelic
That expresses an end or purpose. 1995, Michela Cennamo, Patterns of 'Active' Syntax in Late Latin Pleonastic Reflexives, John Charles Smith, Delia Bentley (editors), Historical Linguistics 1995: Selected Papers from the 12th International Conference on Historical Linguistics, Volume 1: General Issues and Non-Germanic Languages, pag
Opposite: atelic
That expresses the perfective aspect.

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MLA

"telic." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/telic. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

telic. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/telic

Chicago

"telic." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/telic.

BibTeX

@misc{telic_2026,
  title = {telic},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/telic},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}